Interstate Adventures

After exploring the Oregon coast, we felt sluggish. So, when we came back to our campground on the Tillamook River, we decided a walk down a nearby path would perk us up. 

As we entered a narrow grassy maze that led to the shore of the river, a couple of well-fed, energetic golden retrievers burst from between two campers. They blazed by us down the same path that we were following. A gentleman with dark gray, shoulder-length hair, parted in the middle, came over and made sure we were not bothered by his frisky dogs. He said, “You know, I have a bear on my table back at my camper.” Before I could process, I blurted out, “I have to see this.” I thought, I did not see any bears when I walked by his camper and I’ve been looking for them! He said, “It’ll still be there after your walk.” 

He followed us down the path. He asked us all sorts of questions like, “Where are you from? Where are you heading? What are you doing down here?” Bruce and I later confessed to each other that we were slightly worried at this point. We told him about our 5-week camper van adventure from Boston to Seattle. He said,  “Man, you guys must have seen some stuff. “ He said this twice. 

We talked about how the smoke from the wildfires led us to the Oregon coast. He said, “I am from northern, northern Idaho and I got smoked out too.”  He said he was going to be at this campground for two months. He also offered, “I am a veteran, Purple Heart. I care. A lot. These fires are biblical.”

The dogs suddenly went nuts barking across the river. A bunch of cows looked over the grass back at us. He said, “The dogs are hunters but they don’t like cows.” As we approached the water, he asked us if we fish. We told him that after this trip both of us would like to start. He gave us all sorts of tips about how to fish when we get to Seattle. He told us about the permits and the cost of charters. He said that he had once caught Chinook salmon right near where we were standing.

We wondered if it was going to be hard to get back to the van to make dinner as he followed us back up the path. We bid each other farewell and best wishes, then he disappeared. I said to Bruce, “That was easy.” 

Seconds later he popped out from between the campers and said, “C’mon back, I want to show you my bear.” Just as he described, he indeed had a bear on his table. He said, “This is the last bear I will ever kill.” We asked if he ate the bear meat and he said, “It has so many tendons, it is hard to cut the meat off between all of them. More tendons than any animal.” He used his hands to show how he had to work through all the tendons. Then he said, “2/3 Jimmy Dean sausage mix, 1/3 bear meat.” 

Then he said, “Well, I’m going to go smoke a joint right now and have a couple beers.” We said, “Cheers, enjoy.” He said, “I will!”